Dual Aberration
by spiritgirl16
Summary: AegisSwap AU! "The amethyst core crystal is the sign of the Aegis."-The Aegis known as Malos was, by all means, a bastard to work with; Reyna was having a hard time refraining herself from punching him in the face. Only an Aegis could defeat another Aegis after all.F!Rex.
1. Premise

**Disclaimer: I do not own Xenoblade Chronicles 2 or anything in it.**

 _ **This is a collaborative piece between me and a friend, therefore it is also posted on their ao3 account.**_

 _Author's Note: As mentioned this is an AegisSwap AU! Meaning Mythra and Malos have switched places, meaning certain things will obviously be different while other things might not. And also in keeping with the AU spirit, Rex is a girl, named Reyna in this fic._

 ** _Warning(s):_** AegisSwap AU. Good!Malos. Evil!Mythra. F!Rex. Older!Rex. Possible OOCness. Mentions of violence and possible adult themes.(I mean, they are using things like swords and cannons and whatnot, so..it's not all going to be sparkles and fairydust.)

* * *

 _Premise_

* * *

"Words can be a curse."

 _"Hurry! This way, just a little further I'm sure of it!"_

 _Her breaths were coming out in sharp, short bursts of air. Spots dancing in her vision as her eyes throbbing painfully; Her blade pulsed from within its sheath -a sure sign danger was imminent- but there was little she could do about it right now, not when **he** was so close by._

 _All around her inhumane growls and snarls were heard, braiding in with futile battle cries and the ringing of swords. A harshness of noise that made her eardrums feel like they were bleeding, meant to signal the arrival to their journey's destination. Still, she forced her eyes to work, looking past the hordes of vile beasts._

 _Where they were once only a dozen or so there now seemed to hundreds- maybe even thousands. All converging in on herself and her allies, intent on blocking her way forward._

 _She, however, would not be denied. Without so much as a glance backward she charged drawing her sword._

 _One by one the demons fell as she sliced through the air with godlike force, their ethereal forms almost looked human-like amongst the disfigured green masses; their bodies fading away into the nothingness they once were_

 _She ran forward not stopping._

 _"Reyna, wait!"_

 _She barely paused when one of her friends called out to her, the urgency being the only reliable source of comfort in this dismal environment._

 _Even so, selfish though it maybe, Reyna secretly found herself wishing to hear another voice instead. As she found herself at the foot of one of the many staircases she was to climb she felt a stab of emotion pulsate from the amethyst core embedded in her chest._

 _'He's waiting for you, Reyna.' A cold detached feminine voice whispered in her ear, taunting her; pushing her further and further up the few winding staircases and jagged cliffs. 'How much longer do you intend to keep him waiting? Perhaps you've grown tired of your toy. Do you hear his cries of agony? How he calls for you knowing you have abandoned him." She wanted to snap at the cruel voice, to deny their claim._

 _'He'll never **love** you.'_

 _Reyna grit her teeth. "Lies."_

 _'You can't save him. You're already too late, his true place was **always** with **me** after all.'_

 _The voice stopped, cutting off its own maniacal laughter as Reyna finally reached the end of the long arduous climb. Reyna's own biting words dying in her throat._

 _Being held to a slab of stone was a man; a familiar splash of black with olive skin. There was the unmistakable presence of twin orange-pointed wings on either side of him, metallic claws gripping each arm poised like statues._

 _Her lips moved, but no sound came out._

 _The sounds of fighting suddenly seemed so far away. The only thing that mattered at that moment was the one in front of her. The person she so painstakingly fought to get to._

 _Slowly, oh so slowly, did she close the distance between them. Her previously endless pool of strength draining, her energy just starting to wane when a flash of emerald green obstructed her view of him. A sword that sparkled like diamonds was aimed at the shimmering piece of amethyst that shone on her own chest -'proof of their bond' they'd called it- the increasingly familiar action spoke volumes in itself evoking a powerful surge of violet-colored light from the crystal in Reyna's chest._

 _"Well now, you've kept us both waiting….Reyna."_

You figure everything's got to start from somewhere right?

For me, it all began when I met you.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed!

As mentioned Reyna's(F!Rex) age is modified a bit from about 14/15 to 17/18.


	2. Alrest

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Xenoblade chronicles 2.**_

 _Author's note:_ _Fair bit of warning since Rex is a female, certain things and interactions WILL be different._

 _Without further ado, enjoy the story!_

* * *

 ** _Alrest_**

* * *

Alrest was a land filled with history; Hidden somewhere beneath the endless sea of white was untold treasure and non-scripted records of events from long ago, perhaps even from a time before Titans came into being, before even the World Tree; Reyna both loved and hated history.

She was weird like that, whereas most kids her age were busy jumping off cliffs down into the cloud sea she was satisfied curling up indoors browsing one of her dear Auntie Corrine's more weathered tomes. One particular title catching her interest, dubbed 'The Aegis War'.

She read it from cover to cover in three days tops, much to Corrine's amazement. That was back when she could barely walk and had more anxiety issues to deal with.

Perhaps that was what led to her becoming a Salvager, she reckoned? The cloud sea was no doubt full of all kinds of historical things waiting to be discovered, lost secrets and memories etched in time. Some simple things like drawings, others mechanical masterpieces.

She set out from Fonsett, finding suitable transportation on the Titan who kept a permanent residence just outside the village named Azurda, though Reyna took to calling him Gramps; His skin a kind of ashy gray with a long mane of hair the color of fresh forest grass and wizened amber-colored eyes. The two traveling all over the world of Alrest together, with Reyna searching all over the Cloud Sea for treasure or even just something of interest to her.

* * *

Today however, it was neither of the two.

"It's mostly junk," Reyna said aloud with a sigh. "There are a few good condition Photonic coils though, maybe one or two gears. Dark Gray springs in this here thing-" She tossed the smashed up old-looking clock device "-and that's not even the worst of it." Reyna said, letting out an aggravated huff peering deeper into the box spotting an old splotchy looking sack in the corner figuring it must've been shifted when she brought up the crate. ' _Oh hold on a minute, is this what I think it is?'_

"Oh, awesome! Gramps, check it it out-Crimson Gears and Zigzag Shafts!" Reyna said smiling brightly while dumping some dirty old looking satchels out onto the ground, her gaze drifting up noticing how the grassy green hairs on Gramps' back swayed with the wind while he turned.

The old titan let out an impressed hum.

"We'll be able to fetch more than a pretty penny with a load like this, eh?" Reyna said, pushing herself up off the balls of her feet, standing upright. "Any chance you'd be willing to make the trip to Goldmouth?"

"Actually, I was hoping to get in an early nap..." he yawned, stopping himself when he saw Reyna sporting a look similar to that of a kicked puppy dog.

"Now Reyna, you know that's not going to work-"

"Please? With a choice cherry on top?" The girl said jutting her bottom lip out for maximum effect.

The old titan let out a heavy sigh. "I really have gone soft in my old age," he muttered more to himself than aloud. Reyna let out a cheer. "Right then, full speed ahead to Goldmouth!"

Just as they prepared to depart however, a high-pitched cry drew their attention towards the west. Reyna blinked, her eyes widening a fraction of an inch seeing a colossal sized titan leaping up out of the water -it was maybe about Gramps size she reckoned- catching sight of the blue core crystal dimming on its underbelly just before it fell back beneath the cloud sea. To Reyna, it almost sounded sad.

"That was… a titan." She commented softly. Reyna looked up towards Gramps worriedly. "You don't suppose there may have been people still on it, do you Gramps?"

The titan shook his head. "Doubtful. If there were people who inhabited it, I have little doubt they were all long gone before it's life-force depleted completely."

Reyna frowned, turning back in the direction of the fallen titan. "I wonder..."

* * *

The journey to Goldmouth takes at least a whole day, which is why Reyna figured rest would do her some good. It doesn't take her long to fall asleep, after forty-eight hours straight of salvaging she has surprised herself by still being able to stand. ' _It'll be worth it_ ,' she thought with a yawn, ' _Especially when we cash in tomorrow_.'

She closed her eyes and drifted off to the sounds of gently rolling waves and Gramps' humming from up above. Her dreams taking her far away from the murky waters of the cloud sea.

* * *

"-NA!"

"Wha-!?" Reyna bolted upright narrowly missing hitting her head against a low hanging pipe.

"Reyna, wake up!" Gramps called out, a hint of worry in his voice after hearing her start to shout in her sleep. "Are you alright?"

"G-Gramps?" Reyna muttered, still a bit disoriented.

"We've reached Argentum." Gramps informed.

Sure enough, as Reyna stumbled out of bed and onto the deck she was greeted by the familiar hustle and bustle that was known solely as Goldmouth: Home of the Argentum Trade Guild. It was a festival of lights and colors, smiles and mindless chatter amongst friends and colleagues. For Reyna it was the closest thing she'd known as a home outside of Fonsett Village.

She inhaled deeply, breathing in the cheery atmosphere of the floating guild as she hopped down onto the boardwalk breathing in the different aromas of spices, freshly baked nopon goods and Sea King meat wafting down from the second floor.

* * *

Gramps was nice enough to dock at one of the closer spots, with Reyna hopping off just in time to see a familiar head of spikey-blonde hair heading her way belonging to the guy in charge of the docks; Hirkham.

"Well, if it isn't little Rey-Rey!" Reyna turned, her cheeks puffing up in irritation at the aforementioned nickname secretly hating the nopon who came up with it. "How's business?"

"It's fine _Hammy_ ," She said taking a small amount of pleasure in the way his left brow twitched just a little bit, "It's not nice, is it? Hamhog?" speaking in more of a sing-song tone now.

"Alright, alright. You've made yer point," Hirkham grumbled. "So, which one am I unloading today?"

"Just leave it be for now. I won't know for sure until after I'm done negotiating," she sighed heavily. "People have been finicky these days in terms of pricing and whatnot." She added her expression souring.

"What d'ya expect? Hate to break it to ya but there's a majority of investors who aren't gonna believe a little girl like you was able to haul up anything of value." Hirkham commented with a shake of his head.

"Look, I keep tellin ya yer better off with what little work ya been doin upstairs, helpin' out in the Rumbletum Canteen." He added, giving the 'little girl' a sympathetic look. "'Sides a girl like you is probably better off workin' somewhere ya won't get in the way of the big leagues, know what I'm saying?"

"Even though I can't cook to save my life," Reyna stated glumly, with just a hint of bitterness recalling her last blunder in the kitchen which of course lead to her being banned from touching the oven. "I'm not some useless little girl, _I_ am a young woman, fully capable of handling her own thank you very much." She said, jabbing her thumb at herself before placing her hands on her hips and starting to walk away,

"And you wonder why you still don't have a girlfriend," she offhandedly comment hearing him sputter indignantly.

"Oi oi, you don't have to make things personal," he said, seeming a bit offended.

"Aw what's wrong? You gonna start to cry, little Hamhog?" Reyna said barely stifling her giggles at the indignant shade of red that reached all the way to the roots of his hair.

"Wha-no! I think yer confusin me with yerself!" He fired back, cutting her laughter off with a slightly more heated look. She easily matched it with her own, feeling her annoyance kick up a notch or two.

"Hamhog!" Reyna snapped back, having to push herself up on her tippy toes just to try and be more intimidating.

"Shortstack!" He threw back at her with ease, the two going back and forth like a practised routine, oblivious to the attention they were garnering. Then finally, Reyna remembered her reason for coming, backing away with a huff of self-importance.

"You know what? I was going to be nice and pay the fifteen gold per mooring, but now I think I'll pass. See ya!" And with that she took off running throwing a mocking little peace-sign as she sprinted towards the inside of the guild ignoring the shouts of protest Hirkham threw her way.

While she was running her eyes glanced a stationed black ship nearby; elegant black and gold design and no titan in sight to power or move it. ' _Awesome_.' She thought, only to feel her opinion falter a split second after, realizing there was something rather… _ominous_ about this particular vessel that she couldn't quite place wondering if it was just because of the expensive ebony-black color of the exterior complete with a golden trim.

She shook it off, instead making a beeline for the central exchange.

* * *

"What? That's _all_ you're gonna give me!"

"It's life, meh!" The nopon at the counter said, like that was enough to erase the bitter swell of ugly emotions rolling around in Reyna's gut. "It's still more than I give to non-friend," the nopon reminded Reyna and the brunette gave a begrudging nod.

 _'Dammit_ ,' Reyna thought trying her best to hide how disappointed she really was. ' _And right when we could really use the cash_...'

"Fair point." Reyna admitted, looking like she'd just swallowed a spoonful of the worlds most bittersweet medicine. "Alright fine, I'll take it. Two-hundred for me and you know where to send the rest." Even Reyna knew better than to argue with a nopon over money.

"If friend really want to makes good money then me thinks she should invest in salvaging of hot item, lots of people paying good money for more military supplies these days." The nopon offered, "The ceasefire between Mor Ardain and Uraya not keep for too much longer, me thinks."

"I told you before, I'm not interested in all that stuff." Reyna said with a derisive snort.

"Meh, meh! Friend Rey-Rey needs to learn to not be so picky!" The nopon chided lightly, "It hard enough finding good work as _female_ salvager, could earn pretty penny for hot-list item."

"I don't like getting involved with that kind of stuff." Reyna said, a rare look of rising anger on her face. This nopon was pushing her patience.

"Meh, meh! Fine, fine." The nopon relented finally. "Still, me thinks it nice how friend still send money back home. Makes me wish my own dum-dum littlepon did same."

"Well it's not like Gramps charges rent," Reyna admitted sheepishly. Otherwise she'd be in even tougher financial straits, not that anyone needed to know that. "Thanks." Reyna said with a smile.

Reyna turned to take her leave, figuring that if she were to hurry she'd still have time to maybe do another round of salvaging before the day is through, Only to see a familiar little nopon waddling towards her. Flanked by two buff-looking security men, she recognized him as the well known nopon Pupunin.

"Hello Reyna." Pupunin greeted politely.

"Pupunin, hey. Been awhile," Reyna greeted back with a smile.

"Reyna looking to be in high spirits today-no, how say? Yes, that right, peppy!" Pupunin said, rambling a bit.

"Well, I mean...I've been worse," Reyna said rubbing the back of her head in a moment of contemplation. "Did you..need something?" She asked, a bit hesitant as the two didn't really make it a habit to converse all that regularly.

"Something like that, yes." Pupunin admitted in what might have been unease...or perhaps the little nopon was just hungry, Reyna mused for a moment, batting the thought away soon after. "Ah, by the by, friend come from Fonsett village, located in Leftherian Archipelago, yes?"

Reyna blinked, looking confused. ' _Why would where I'm from matter_?'

"Yeah...that's right. Why do you ask?" She asked cautiously. ' _Something seems fishy here_.'

"You should go straight to boardroom of Chairman then!" Pupunin announced seeing the suspicious glint entering Reyna's eyes.

"What? Why?"

"Uh, Chairman Bana asked for friend Reyna by name." Pupunin hurried to explain, jumping a little ways off the ground in his haste.

"The Chairman? He asked for _ME_?"

Pupunin nodded. "Friend must hurry though, Chairman Bana hate to be kept waiting!"

Ignoring the nagging sensation in her gut Reyna broke off into a sprint, heading in the direction of the Chairman's room figuring it wouldn't hurt to at least hear the guy out. Pupunin watched her disappear from sight up the stairs before letting out an audible sigh of relief."Oh...Pupunin not get paid enough for this..." The nopon muttered to himself once she was gone.

~o~

The Chairman's room was unexpectedly larger than any room Reyna had seen, much more than the room she had back in Fonsett or even the little hut of hers on Gramps' back. And seated in the center, comfortably lounging behind his desk was none other than the massive nopon himself, Chairman Bana.

"Thank you for accepting summons. I Bana, Chairman of Argentum Trade Guild."

Reyna had forgotten just how abnormally large the Chairman was, despite being a nopon which were known to be small creatures. His fur more of a teal color as opposed to Pupunin's own yellow fur or even the pink-furred nopon at the Rumbletum Canteen. His purple hair styled upwards sporting a rather weird looking mustache as well, with big glittery jewels adorning several parts of his being including each giant furry finger.

"Uh...P-pleased to make your acquaintance, sir." Reyna said nervously casting an uneasy glance around the room, her eyes meeting that of one of the attendants who in turn sneered a little, regarding her like one would a piece of trash that rolled in from outside. Not her fault they were all so good-looking and well off, Reyna barely had money for food let alone enough to give herself a half-decent wardrobe.

"Pupunin said you wanted to see me?" Reyna said, cutting right to the chase. "Yes, me hear from Pupunin that Rey-girl is salvager of some renown-"

 _'That doesn't really sound like something he'd say about me_.' She thought.

"-that being case, I have teensy-weensy favor to ask of Rey-girl."

"Wait, hold on? You have a request for me?" Reyna said in disbelief. Her eyes becoming wide failing to hide her surprise even the slightest amount.

"Reward is one-hundred, thousand gold." The chairman informed wasting no time. Reyna's jaw dropped.

"H-how much!?" She didn't mean to be so loud, but holy hell that was a lot of cash! "A-A hundred-thousand!?"

 _'I could make sure everyone back home got their fair share of food AND have enough left over to buy that book I saw over at Reedirait's Bookstore_.' Reyna thought excitedly. This could just be the break she was waiting for.

"Friend hear that right, actually," Bana interrupted "that just advance."

Reyna's eyes were bulging.

"Another one-hundred thousand provided upon completion of job." He explained extending his paws in grandiose fashion.

"T-Two hundred-thousand grand in total? Are you serious!" Reyna hollered. "No way, I must be dreaming..."

She bit her lip regaining her senses suddenly, unsure as to whether or not she was really the right fit for such a high-paying job.

"Um, what exactly _is_ this job, might I ask?"

"Ah yes, Crew will explain details of job then." Bana said turning in his seat with Reyna following his gaze.

"Bring them in!"

The attendant nodded, and opened the large double doors with ease whilst stepping inside.

Reyna waited with bated breath, from beyond the threshold there were the sounds of the faint clinking of what she assumed to be some kind of metal- armor perhaps? -along with heavy footsteps. She could faintly make out the approaching silhouettes, most of which appeared to be glowing on certain parts of their bodies.

The first person to enter was a girl, just about a head or so shorter than Reyna herself and garbed in a baggy yellow jumpsuit with white gloves and a hood, small little cat-like ears sewn onto the edge with two flowing pieces of cloth. At her left hip were three sharply pointed daggers clipped onto her belt. Her footwear consisting of black and white armored leggings and red pointed boots. The cat-like features are a clear giveaway to the girls Gormotti heritage, complete with prominent white stripes on her cheeks. Her beige-colored hair barely reaching the end of her neck. She walked with more confidence than Reyna, seeming perfectly at ease by the tiger walking alongside her.

Reyna's eyes grew a little wider noticing the shining blue core crystal nuzzled in the nest of white and black fur; the armor plating on it's paws making a soft _clink_! As it walked on by.

The next girl- no, definitely a young woman-was breathtakingly beautiful reminding Reyna of the one time she had glimpsed a look at Fan La Norne from the Praetorium, straightening some when those radiant, warm eyes met her own. She walked with confidence and poise, her form consisting of delicate curves and a lean amount of muscle. The combination of fiery red and black mesh-like material covering her torso did well in showing off the soft pale glow of her skin, the matching thigh-high red stockings and shoes giving a more athletic feel than one might expect, at least that was how Reyna saw it.

And her Blade was equally intimidating for entirely different reasons. Taller than the redhead and bipedal, looking like a mix between a lizard and some kind of dino-looking thing sporting a rather feral looking grin on it's maw- ' _Does that thing even have a face_?' Reyna thought; It's skin was black and blue in color with a battle-ready look in it's eyes making Reyna immediately avert her attention elsewhere.

The last member of the group came out alone, and was a male. His attire silver like the fur of a volff from the regions of Tantal- ' _He kind of reminds me of one of those characters from the books I read, I think it was...the one about the Aegis or something_?' -The Gormotti caught Reyna staring and let out a snort.

Reyna shot her a small glare, but otherwise chose to ignore her.

"My name is Pyra."

"Wha...oh." Reyna snapped her attention forward where she saw the redhead was now standing before her, smiling warmly. "Right, m-my name's Reyna." She managed to get out, something about the way the girl looked at her made her wary.

"So... there's something we would like to haul up." The silver-haired male began, stepping out of line never breaking eye contact with Reyna. "There were some current shifts you see, and because of that it showed up in an uncharted area of the Cloud Sea. It's a rather long way down as well." He explained allowing Reyna a few seconds to digest this information. "So... will you help us?"

"Uh, well the thing is, I don't really-"

"Bana offered to assemble team of veterans for this job, but this crew very picky." Bana interrupted. "They want small elite team, and only from Leftheria."

 _'Ah, so that's it_.' Reyna thought, depressed by this new tidbit of information. ' _It's because I'm from Leftheria, that's all_.'

"Look I appreciate you considering me and all, but...I really don't think I'm the best candidate for the job." It hurt to admit it, but deep down Reyna knew she was still far from the top of the pack and only really just started making a name for herself. "You're better off finding someone else who can-"

"No." That same sharp, calm tone cut off Reyna's protests.

Silence fell around the room with Pyra tilting her head the smallest amount and looking up at the silver-clad individual beside her who'd cut the brunette off so abruptly.

"It has to be you, no one else. You're the only one here who is native to Leftharia after all," Reyna winced at that. She didn't like the idea of turning people away if they really needed help, but… it didn't sound like these people really needed someone who would only slow them down like she would. "We'll double the payout if that's what's needed." He added a moment later, a quiet look of contemplation passing over his features giving her being a once-over for anything that might give him an advantage for convincing her. He could tell she lacked confidence from how much she avoided eye contact, and debated capitalizing on _that_ when he caught sight of something clipped onto the end of her belt in the form of a familiar looking auburn-colored string.

"...I just don't know." Reyna relented apprehensively. "I'll do it if there's really no one else you can turn to, but...don't get your hopes up." She added a moment later, shifting uncomfortably under their stares, Hirkham's words from earlier running through her head. "I mean, I'm not really the best when it comes to salvaging…".

Another scoff caught Reyna's attention, swiveling her gaze over to the Gormotti girl who had been more or less quiet this whole time. She frowned watching her start to laugh.

"Are you serious, Jin? Pyra?" The beige-haired female of the trio inquired not bothering to hide her amusement in the slightest, making Reyna bristle with annoyance. "This girl? She BARELY looks capable of defending herself, let alone salvaging anything of worth."

"Hey, you know… you look younger than me," Reyna pointed out, a part of her wanting to avoid conflict. The Gormotti glared.

"At least _I_ wouldn't wet myself over the promise of a measly one hundred grand."

Reyna opened her mouth about to fire back an immediate retort when she caught herself, snapping her jaw shut and drawing in a deep breath. The Gormotti arched a brow, clearly expecting the other girl to take the offered bait.

"You're… right. Maybe." The words tasted like poison in her mouth truthfully, but this girl was not her friend like Hirkham, and hopefully after this job was done Reyna would never see her again. The Gormotti looked momentarily surprised, but Reyna had learned at a young age to pick and choose her battles.

" _Ahem_! Reyna, was it?" The white-furred tiger began, his tone far more amicable than that of his driver. Leaving his spot at the Gormotti's side when Reyna lowered her head in quiet acceptance,"I implore you to please excuse My Lady's discourtesy," He said with a bow of his head.

The Gormotti scowls for a moment looking at Reyna like the apology was somehow her fault. "Dromarch!" His driver hissed in irritation. "What have I told you about speaking for me? Shut your-"

"Now, now Nia." The calm voice of the crimson-haired girl Pyra rose above the minor banter, fixing the irritated Gormotti with a warm, tender smile. The redhead turned her gaze back onto Reyna, her garnet-colored orbs flashing brighter.

"If you are having doubts then surely there is a more efficient way of putting them to rest, wouldn't you agree?"

Reyna had just barely caught the slightest move of Pyra's hand to her sword. Her body already moving before her mind caught up, narrowly dodging the curved edges of a burning red sword. ' _Is that thing on fire_?'

Reyna dodged another fast-paced swipe feeling the smallest licks of embers on her cheek before she regained her footing reaching for something strapped to her belt.

"Hey, w-what's the big idea!?" Reyna hollers, fumbling for a moment as the redhead's sword looks to slice through her head, before it is suddenly stopped. A finely-woven rope of auburn-colored hair held together by small little golden loops wraps around the hilt of the weapon followed by a steel-plated boot knocking the edge of the blazing weapon away. With remarkable grace Pyra leaps out of the way, easily batting the other girl's kick aside while hiding her own flinch, intense garnet eyes focusing on the other girl's weapon of choice.

The male of the trio reacting in much the same way, his glacier-blue orbs flicking between Reyna's face and her weapon.

"My, that's an unusual weapon," the redhead comments in a tone that sounds far too casual given the sudden onslaught of attacks, or so Reyna thinks. "Most of the people we've come across tend to lean more towards using a sword or perhaps a spear, even among drivers."

"Nobody ever said I was normal." Reyna said, the small spark of irritation bellying the hurt at the truth of her own words. Even growing up back on Fonsett, few would call her 'normal'.

The redhead looked to be considering Reyna's words, making the brunette ponder what her next move would be when the Gomrotti chose to interrupt the minor standoff happening.

"Pyra, what's the point in beating on someone like her?" Nia demanded. The crimson-haired girl immediately re-sheathed her sword adopting a more relaxed posture. Reyna let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding once Pyra's attention left her in favor of addressing Nia.

"Hm? Were you not questioning her skill yourself?" The redhead responded sincerely, actually looking a tad sheepish even. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean any real harm by it, you see." Pyra spared another quick glance in Reyna's direction, smiling. "I just wanted to be sure- if she were able to defend herself I would feel much more at ease."

"I never said that I thought she couldn't," Nia rebuffed.

"Oh I'm sorry, I must have misunderstood things then." Pyra said quickly offering a small bow to Reyna as an added means of apology. "It's strange though, you don't appear to be a driver. Might I ask where you learned those arts?" Pyra said, directing the question at Reyna who was still in a battle-ready position.

"W-well, I… uh..." Reyna said, a bit thrown off by the others easy dismissal of the almost-confrontation.

The redhead smiled. "Well, at the very least you've got at least some skill, guts as well." She turned, her red cloak flowing out around her while she walked out of the boardroom. "I trust you'll do good work." Her Blade slowly followed her out, not even sparring Reyna glance. Finally Reyna tucked away the battle braid not quite sure what to make of Pyra's parting words.

Turning back around Reyna's gaze was met by that of the male, Jin. She waited, half expecting him to say something. Then without a word to her he turned and followed Pyra out of the room next.

The girl: Nia, let out a sigh seeming exasperated before looking back over at Reyna. She glared, upturning her nose and marching out of the room, her tiger offering a slight bowing of the head before following suite leaving Reyna all alone. Already, she was beginning to regret her decision.

"Meh, meh, meh! Friends are such rowdy bunch," Bana joked trying to add some levity to the room. He dropped a hefty bag of gold down onto the desk that Reyna could only assume to be the advance he mentioned. "Here is advance. Use to buy whatever gear you need, then go to dock on starboard."

"Bana has arranged _excellent_ vessel for you there." The nopon said looking quite proud of himself for some reason.

"Right," Reyna said, hoping the pit growing in her stomach went away soon. _'But first I should let Gramps know what's going on_.'

With that in mind, she made her way back out towards the docks seeing the bright orange and red rays of the setting sun. To say Gramps seemed uneasy when Reyna informed him of the request was an understatement.

"You say the girl's name was… Pyra?" Gramps questioned with a curious hum, once Reyna filled him in on the job request.

"Yeah, that's right. And a Gormotti girl named Nia." Reyna reiterated, "The guy, well… I actually kind of forgot his name, it was only really mentioned in passing anyway."

"Reyna, I have a bad feeling about this job. I think it best if you decline, and besides we can make up the difference in money another way." Gramps said seriously.

Reyna sighed shaking her head. "I really don't want to, I'm not gonna lie," she confessed solemnly. "But we need the money, Corrine already mentioned how there isn't even enough food for everyone to last the next night let alone three days from now. Twelve people are sharing one room, I can't solve every problem, but shouldn't I at least try and help in any way I can right now?"

"Reyna… you are too kind," Gramps said in response looking down at the small girl he'd helped raise from such a young age. "I don't like this, but if you're that insistent on it… then, perhaps you could humor this old Titan and take along a small bit of luck." Reyna's brows furrowed together looking confused. "Just an old charm I've kept from one of your little 'expedition's' nothing more, it's in a satchel in the corner of your room-think me superstitious if you will, but we both know how _unlucky_ you get when it comes to staying out of trouble…" He said, his tone taking on more of a lighthearted joking one, bellying the swell of concern.

"Ha, ha...very funny," Reyna rebutted. Like it was her fault she set that kitchen on fire, or almost accidentally stabbed a nopon or two when trying to slice into some meat. ' _Well… maybe a bit of luck wouldn't hurt…'_ Reyna thought feeling a bead of sweat run down her brow.

"Fine, whatever…"Reluctantly she climbed onto his back figuring the sooner the better, a part of her wanting this request over and done with already. "It's in the corner near your nightstand," Gramps hollered and she had to resist the urge to roll her eyes trudging into her poor excuse of a bedroom.

"Is this what he's talking about?" Reyna muttered, catching the bright glint of pure, glimmering silver on the floor by her nightstand. ' _It must have fallen off at one point from the nightstand, probably during last night's storm_.' She thought absently while picking it up, blowing and dusting it off a bit seeing the faint lining of rust along the edges giving proof of its age.

Reyna stared down at the piece of jewelry, her eyes focused intensely on the center glittering piece of amethyst in the middle of the circling ball of fire feeling a sudden, sharp stinging pain in her head:

 _"You'll forget me, but the memories-times of you and me together-will always be with me. And that's more than I could ever hope for." A deep voice said, one that sounded eerily familiar to Reyna's ears though she wasn't sure why. "Here. Hold onto this for me." The person -their features blurred out of focus- deposited a glittering necklace into her palm slowly closing her fingers around it._

 _The sun was sinking faster behind her now; the sky had turned to a clear, purple-tinged grey, but to the west there was a ruby-red glow. Like the cruel ticking of a clock, reminding her she only had seconds left…_

 _"But...it's not enough for you to stay, is it?" Reyna asks him, her voice sounding calm despite the underlying emotion roiling through her. She sounded more confident too._

 _She hears the other person give a loud exhale, and she can just barely make out what sounds like a pinch of irritation in their next words._

 _"Leandra, I-"_

"Reyna!"

"Ah…!" Reyna gasped, clutching her head feeling the intense throbbing pain slowly fade away.

"Reyna, are you alright?" Gramps worried voice called out in alarm, forcing Reyna to push the tiniest urge to whimper away, standing up on her own two feet.

"Yeah...yeah, I'm fine Gramps." She called back, staring down at the acquired necklace in confusion. _'That voice… who was that just now? And why did they sound so familiar?'_ She shook her head heading back out onto the docks.

She would worry about it more when she came back, for now she had a job to do.

"Well, hopefully I'll see you soon gramps!"

She raced further along down the docks, making a beeline for the huge black ship at the other end.

"So they're even wheeling out the Maelstrom for this one, eh?" Reyna said aloud, taking in the sight of the massive ship docked before her, the sun dipping a bit lower on the horizon. She let out a heavy sigh, "Talk about deep pockets..."

"Gawking at a boat of all things. What are you, twelve?" A familiar, snarky voice cut in from behind her, causing Reyna to whirl around meeting the familiar amber eyes of the Gormotti, Nia. "So much for acting your own age." She adds a moment later, scoffing.

"Uh...I don't recall ever actually giving my age, so…" Reyna says perhaps a tad more awkward than necessary, Nia's eyes pinch into another burning glare that has Reyna wincing. "Did I do something that offends you?" Reyna asks, feeling the heat of the others girls apparent dislike of her.

Nia's only response is to give a _tch_! of annoyance, folding her arms. "I just don't think you're really up for this, you know? You said yourself you aren't really qualified, yeah?" There's a hint of something in the Gormotti's words -was it concern? Uncertainty?- Reyna can't be sure what though.

"I might not be the best,"Reyna begins with a twinge of insecurity bubbling in her chest, "but I'm still far from the worst. Besides, if you recall it was _your_ companion who insisted I come along." Reyna says, mostly just to spite the other girl at this point. Nia all but snarls back at her.

"Oh please, I saw you makin' googly eyes at Jin back there!" The Gormotti said, the smugness shining in her eyes is more than enough to catch Reyna off guard.

"Wha-What the hell are you talking about!? I was not making googly eyes at anyone!" Reyna rebuffed, catching the other girls doubtful look with her own watching the amber eyes searching, but for what? Reyna had no clue. "Believe me I'm not here because I want to be, get all your facts straightened out before you start accusing me of shit _Little girl_."

With that Reyna turned, only to bump face-first into something hard falling back on the dock floorboard with a loud 'oomph!'

Nia bursts out laughing, much to Reyna's embarrassment.

"Oops sorry about that Reyna, didn't see ya there!" The Salvager comments jokingly offering her a helping hand up. "I just wanted to letcha know we're heading off now. There's no one seein ya off, right?" Reyna nodded while taking his hand, a bit saddened at the reminder. "You've got night watch by the way, until then feel free to rest up inside."

"Right." She said, whilst nodding again.

Without so much as a glance towards the Gormotti girl, Reyna turned and headed into the ship wanting to get this job over and done with as soon as possible.

The interior of the ship was pretty alright by her standards, if not perhaps more suited for cargo than people. Then again everyone knew Bana didn't like to waste too much money on manpower these days. Her eyes did a quick sweep of the gathered people, spotting the girl Nia and her Tiger-Blade: Dromarch, a short ways off but wanting to avoid another potential argument instead going in the direction of the ship's starboard bow. She knew she should be using this time to get to know her clients, but the throbbing headache she had made her more eager for some peace and quiet.

"Oh, Reyna was it?"

Reyna bit back the groan of irritation that threatened to fall from her lips recognizing a familiar head of flaming red hair and radiant garnet-colored eyes.

She felt that all too familiar kick to her own confidence managing a weak sounding laugh while rubbing the back of her head. The girl's Blade throwing another feral looking smile her way. "Hey uh, Pyra right?"

"Yes, that's right." The redhead said kindly, the smile melting off her face when her gaze drifted a bit further down seeing the necklace Gramps had given her displayed proudly on her chest for all to see. "Oh, that's an… interesting piece of jewelry you have there." The way Pyra's tone fluctuated made Reyna a bit uneasy.

"Oh um thanks," Reyna mumbled, following the redhead's stare down to her necklace. "It's uh, kind of a good luck charm," she added a moment later trying to hide her unease.

"You don't say..." Pyra's eyes remained fixed onto the intricate looking charm.

"Uh, yeah so anyway," Reyna began trying to shift the subject of conversation in a more friendly direction. "This job, your friend mentioned hauling something up from the cloud sea. Can you maybe give me a little more detail on that?"

"I'm thankful for you deciding to come along with us Reyna," Pyra commented with another warm, radiant smile. Reyna shuffled about nervously for a moment, avoiding the other girls stare. "This thing we're after, it's very important we retrieve it you see, and we've been searching for it for so very long...we'd just about given up ever finding it." Pyra confessed, holding her hands over the spot where her heart was, lifting her now hopeful gaze back up onto Reyna's face.

"W-well..I still think bringing along someone with more experience might have been better, but I'll try my best while I'm here." Reyna tried to sound confident, she really did, only her own tone wavered towards the end. "I'll do whatever I can to help."

Pyra nodded. Looking pleased by the brunette's words.

"Uh, so this thing you're after," Pyra's gaze turned a bit more assessing. "C-can I ask what it might be? Is it like...some kind of artifact?"

Pyra's expression became more contemplative, like she was unsure of what to say. "Something like that. I- _we_ -thought it was potentially lost a really long time ago, but it turns out we were wrong.." She said, her voice and expression both softening. "Like I said, it's something very important."

"Yeah, it must be...but why would you need someone from Leftheria to get it?" Reyna asked hesitantly.

"Ah, that's...a bit difficult to explain really. Don't worry though, everything will become clear once we arrive at our destination." Pyra affirmed holding the other girl's stare.

Reyna fidgeted uncomfortably under the other girls intense gaze, her own eyes dropping and taking in the surrounding area. "Is something wrong?" Pyra asked, sounding concerned when Reyna wouldn't meet her gaze longer than ten seconds.

"Uh, n-no… m'fine," Reyna mumbled nervously.

"I-I should go..." She added a moment later when Pyra seemed about to press the issue, trying to hedge her way to somewhere she could be alone. Her head was still pounding horribly, "I have to check in for night watch and all that." She supplied in a pitiful attempt to end the conversation. Pyra regarded her with gentle eyes before nodding, seeming to sense that socializing wasn't Reyna's strong suit.

"Of course, it was nice talking with you Reyna." Pyra offered breaking eye contact and turning to look out over the endless sea of white down below.

Reyna walked -more like fled- clear to the other side of the ship, releasing a breath she didn't realize she was even holding in once she was a fair distance away. "What in the world have I gotten myself into…?" She muttered glumly, the creaking of the floorboards serving as the only response to her question.

She started walking towards one of the nearby ladders, figuring she might as well follow through on her words to Pyra when a flash of silver from the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned slowly, surprised to find the silver-clad, masked male of the trio looking back at her. Watching her with those piercing azure-colored eyes, looking like someone trying to figure out a complicated puzzle.

"Uh….can I….help you?" She said slowly, discomfort gnawing at her from the inside seeing her own reflection in those glacier-blue eyes of his.

"That weapon you carry-"

"Y-yes? Hm...whoa!" Reyna yelped, suddenly losing her grip on the ladder and falling backwards. She was expecting a hard landing when a hand much colder than her own grasped onto her. She blinked, as she stopped just short of meeting the floor. Looking up she found herself in the arms of the masked man.

"Oh uh, th-thanks.." Reyna stammered cheeks becoming flushed, quickly trying to pull herself free from his arms, tripping over her own two feet in an awkward attempt to put some distance between them.

"S-so uh," Reyna said a bit louder than intended, wincing when some of the nearby crew members threw her weird looks. "W-what did you say your name was again?"

A beat of silence passed between them, leaving Reyna to wonder if she had somehow offended him already.

"Was it...yin maybe?" She gave a nervous laugh. No response.

"Well I know it wasn't yang?" She joked poorly, ' _I'm so stupid_.'

"It's Jin," he finally said. "Yours is… Reyna. Correct?"

"Yeah! Oh hey, wait a second… how did you… know that?" The words fell from her mouth slowly. Only a split second later recalling how she had introduced herself following Pyra's own introduction. "Uh...nevermind," was her embarrassed response.

"Where did you get that weapon from before, the one you used on Pyra earlier?" He pressed either choosing not to care when she asked her question or too intent on getting some answers. "It's called a Battle-Braid, am I right?" He waited while Reyna straightened herself against the nearby rail, her head still pounding and feeling like Hirkham's after a drunken night of partying. She pushed through the pain.

"Oh, you mean this?" Reyna inquired, reaching and unhooking the battle braid attached to her belt holding it out towards him. "I dunno really, it was supposedly just something I had with me since I was a child, or at least that's what I've been told." She explained, a small smile spreading across her face towards the end.

Jin's face did… something. Reyna wasn't really sure what though, as the mask he wore made it hard to decipher, for a split second she thought she might've pissed him off when he spoke again, startling her a bit. "So then, it wasn't given to you by anyone?"

"Uh, well… I mean, it could have been I guess?" She folded her arms trying to think back to her younger years for a better answer. "If it was though, then I don't think I ever met them. Say, why's it matter so much to you anyway?"

"It doesn't. I was merely curious," came the curt response. "It's not the kind of weapon you would normally see someone use, especially with someone who clearly lacks the footwork."

"Excuse me?" Reyna voice took on a more offended note.

"When you engaged Pyra earlier, it was clear you lack a certain level of discipline still. You were more focused on running away than actually putting up any kind of resistance," his words cut through her self-esteem like a knife through butter. She sputtered a bit, immediately dropping her gaze down to the floorboards, voice barely above that of a whisper.

"I-I… w-well, not every problem has to be solved by fighting, you know? A- and besides, I wasn't expecting an attack so suddenly." Reyna can't stop her voice from cracking, showing yet another small chink in her frail armor. "Violence isn't always the answer." She insists.

" _Violence_ , as you call it doesn't discriminate- it comes at you full force whether you're prepared for it or not." Jin rebutted calmly, his own voice never changing. "And if you're not prepared, it _will_ cost you."

Reyna didn't have a response for him, adopting a look of quiet contemplation.

When a another beat of silence passed between them, Jin merely turned and began walking away. Reyna was left with her thoughts, turning to head off to her shift on night watch.

~o~

Reyna shivered looking through her pair of binoculars. Watching the lapping white waves of the cloud sea just below, looking further up and seeing the darkening clouds that hung in the skies above signaling a powerful storm heading their wa.."Huh? Isn't that…?" She trails off, spotting the same black ship she saw earlier docked at the harbor. "Is it following us or something? Weird."

"Ugh! It's freezing up here." A voice spoke from behind her. Reyna turned toward the familiar accented voice. ' _Huh...I would have figured her to be the type to prefer being alone.'_ Reyna thought curiously.

"Hey, you're...Nia, right?" Reyna said, a bit proud at herself for remembering while Nia looked at her,surprised.

"Well now, so you remembered." Nia said sounding almost impressed for a change, her face swiftly reverting back into her usual sour expression. "Anyhow they've started boozin below decks, figured i'd go somewhere I can hear myself think. If you wanna go join 'em I can take over the lookout."

Reyna snorted. "Please tell me you're joking," she flippantly responded to the offer. She saw the corners of Nia's lips tilt up into a bemused smirk, the amber-colored eyes shone a trickle of amusement. "Not much of a drinker then?" Reyna pondered aloud, trying to visualize the cat-girl with a hangover of some kind.

Nia shrugged. "It's not that I hate it, I just really don't need the headache right now, ya know?"

"Huh. Yeah, I guess I see your point." Reyna said with a small smile, turning her eyes out towards the cloud sea. Letting the minutes slowly tick by before speaking again hearing a particularly loud crash of glass from down below, "Those idiots think just cuz they're salvagers they get to go a little crazy when it comes to drinking," Reyna muttered with a sigh.

"Really, and why's that?" Nia inquired, arching a brow.

"It's that whole Salvager's code crap, "Swim with the fishes, drink like them too" or something like that." Reyna recited, snickering a little.

"Sounds terrible. I doubt I'll be changing careers anytime soon." Nia giggled, looking out at the Cloud sea.

"It's probably for the best," Reyna turned to her. "I doubt I'd even be doing this if I didn't really need the cash right now myself," she admitted. "It's not really for everyone." She drums her fingers along the railing letting her binoculars hang from around her neck.

"So then, you're not a salvager by choice?" Nia asked, sounding surprised.

Reyna thought on her response for a moment."Nah, it's a bit complicated really, but salvaging is a good way to earn a pretty penny quick when you need it." She shrugged, stifling a sudden yawn."Everyone's gotta make a living somehow, right?"

"So..." The cat-eared girl drawled, looking at her with a blank expression. "What's your name again?"

" Reyna." She responded.

"So, Reyna… what's your story then? If you don't like the job why not just quit?" Nia prodded, curious.

Reyna shrugged. "Like I said, it's a bit complicated."

The girl didn't answer for another moment or so. "Uhh… Believe it or not, I'm used to complicated..."

Reyna looked to the other girl, noting the sincere glint in her eyes.

"I… never really knew who my parents were. One day, I just washed up on the shores of my home, Fonsett. Not a thing to my name aside from whatever clothes I had on," -she rummaged in her pocket for something- " and this too for some reason." Reyna said digging out the Battle Braid she'd used earlier in her skirmish with Pyra.

Nia's expression was one of disbelief.

"There was barely enough money to feed four or six of us in a single day, let alone all twelve of us. A lot of us didn't even make it to our teens, let alone adulthood." Reyna explained.

"That's why I set out for Argentum. So I can send whatever money I make back home in hopes of helping however I can," Reyna supplied. "I know it's not much, but something's better than nothing. I think maybe whatever Titan I lived on with my parents might have already gone under; Day by day things are only getting harder, haven't you noticed? Living space is in short supply because the titans are dying out." Reyna shook her head recalling the other day when she saw one go under before her very eyes.

"There may not be a viable solution for every problem, I get that, but at the very least shouldn't we try? At the very least, if not here, then maybe it's worth looking into up _there_." She said, lifting her gaze up and towards the World tree rising from the center of Alrest, it's leaves sparkling in the nighttime sky like scattered stars. "It's called Elysium for a reason, after all."

Nia outright snorted, almost choking on her own laughter. Reyna felt a pang of irritation swell in her gut, lifting a single brow.

"Seriously? ELYSIUM?" Nia chortled, not bothering to hide her mirth. "Don't tell me you honestly believe all that guff?!"

"Well then why'd you even ask?" Reyna asked feeling herself bristle a little bit, her annoyance kicking up a notch finding it just a tad frustrating how quickly the other girl laughs in her face. "Besides, is it really so wrong to want to try and find a way for everyone to be able to live freely alongside one another?"

Nia's laughter faded, as she looked at Reyna incredulously. "It's just a legend. A myth. Something people tell their kids at night when they go to bed, and that thing there," -the cat-eared girl pointed at the massive tree in the distance.- "it's just an overgrown shrub."

"Is it so wrong, believing in something like that?" Reyna challenged.

"Haven't you ever heard the story of Addam, the who ended the great war centuries ago?" Reyna's eyes lit up in excitement recalling her favorite bedtime story. "I'm sure there were plenty of people who doubted him and thought the war would never come to an end, but he proved them wrong." Reyna reminded Nia of one of the little kids shed seen running around back in Gormott, the way her hands flew around trying to make out shapes and gestures. "

"I saw a mural of him once when I went to visit the Praetorium, it was huge! Never seen anything like it, and it was so pretty," Reyna fondly recalled, clearly remembering herself tugging wildly on her Aunt Corrine's arms wanting to get a closer look. "It must have taken up the whole wall and then some, it showed him along with that fabled Blade of his- The Aegis."

Nia's eyebrows rose up, past her bangs. "Huh, you sure know your stuff… though I think that's still somewhat of a different case really since Addam was a prince." Nia contemplated, before giving a small shrug. "Besides, a whole lot of people aren't so sure about that supposed Blade of his, I mean...I highly doubt something _that powerful_ could actually exist, otherwise someone would've found it by now."

"That being said: I… well, I always thought people were pretty selfish by nature, but you… maybe you're not so bad after all." The Gormotti admitted, albeit a tad more begrudgingly by the look of her face.

 _'Was that a compliment_?' Reyna thought, astonished.

"A place of peace, eh? It certainly isn't the worst dream I've heard, though a bit corny I'll admit." Nia affirmed with a smirk.

Reyna smiled back. Glad to have made at least some positive progress in getting to know her clients. "Thanks. Nice to know you're warming up to me a little bit."

"On second thought, I take it back." Nia responded smartly with a grin.

A comfortable silence fell between them after that, in which Reyna went back to watching the cloud sea down below. ' _I wonder what's down there that's so important anywa_ y,' She thought perplexed. ' _Guess I'll find out soon enough_.'

* * *

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